Xena is gone. Gabrielle isn't doing so well on her own. - She meets a woman who resembles Xena and discovers new things about herself a long the way. This story is the perfect mixture of drama, adventure, humor and interest. Please read and review.

Gabrielle's
eyes popped open and she quickly raised up from her bedroll. She
placed a hand to her forehead and covered her eyes. A few seconds
later, she was on her feet throwing wood onto the fire. It was
strange the way it felt when she woke up so suddenly. It was almost
as if Xena was still right there beside her. She found herself
reaching out for the warrior princess nightly, but her arms always
fell carelessly onto the cold hard ground beside her. She didn't
used to mind sleeping in the woods, but now it seemed like the worst
place to be, yet, it was the best because it was where she spent the
majority of her time with Xena.

Gabrielle
sat back down on her bedroll and stared into the fire, "Why is this
so hard?" she spoke aloud. "It shouldn't be taking this long…"
she sighed. Xena, I know
you can hear my thoughts, so I'm going to start thinking directly
to you. It's hard down here, on earth I mean, I'm not doing so
well. I know I was supposed to carry on in your footsteps, but I've
been hiding here in Greece for weeks. I can't bring myself to move
on; it's too painful. Life doesn't feel right without you, Xena.
I feel so lost. A short
pause. I want you here with
me more than anything else in the world. I know it has to be the most
selfish desire I've ever had, but it doesn't seem fair that
you're gone. I still don't believe it was your time. Gabrielle's
eyes filled with tears and she allowed a few of them to stream down
her face. They glistened from the soft glow of the fire. I
know I have to move on from all of this, but right now, I don't
have the strength. You always gave me such strength… I miss you
terribly. I miss you more than words can say.

Gabrielle
stopped, "What's the point of this? She can't communicate back
with me." She whimpered in a bitter, yet, saddened tone. "No
matter how much I think about it, she's still gone." With her
heart aching, Gabrielle reluctantly laid down again on her bedroll.
Somewhere from that moment and the early morning hours she managed to
fall asleep for a short while, but at the very first sign of light,
she was awake and on her feet again.

Her
eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep and her body ached all over.
She had been coughing a lot lately, which was strange for Gabrielle,
she didn't often feel under the weather. Convinced it would pass
quickly and naturally, she had taken no precaution of purchasing any
medicines. She wouldn't acknowledge it at the time, but due to lack
of rest and not properly taking care of her body, Gabrielle had
fallen ill. She would shrug it off, of course, and as she slowly
traveled around the countryside of Greece, passing through small town
after small town, her illness became more and more severe. Finally,
as she was passing through the village of Askyro, Gabrielle's
fierce denial came to a halt.

Her
vision became blurry and the last thing she recalled was seeing a
young man coming towards her as she staggered down the main road of
the village. She must have passed out after that, because when she
awoke, she was resting in a hospice. Her instincts prompted her to
call out for Xena, but she quickly had to remind herself about the
reality of her life now, and that Xena had passed on to the next
life. Gathering herself and her thoughts, Gabrielle raised her head
and gazed around the small, yet cozy medical facility.

"Fever?"
Gabrielle asked as she turned her head to behold the young man from
the street.

"Yes.
You've been ill for many, many days. You're lucky that we were
able to help you." He smiled. "Your determination and your
strength surpasses all I've ever seen. I knew your body would
heal."

"I'm
sorry, if I've been a burden." Gabrielle replied in an
emotionless voice. "Thank you for all your help. I'll gladly pay
you."

"Pay
me?" The young man laughed. "No, there is no charge. I do my job
because the gods have blessed me with the gift of healing. It would
be an abomination if I were to take your money."

"Forgive
me if I feel indebted to you." Gabrielle responded as she slowly
lifted herself from the bed.

"You
should be careful. You're still weak. I recommend that you spend a
couple more days here until you're completely ready to travel
again." The young man came up to Gabrielle's side. "Let me help
you. You must be starving. Come, I have food prepared in the other
room." He took Gabrielle's arm and lead her.

"What
is your name?" Gabrielle asked as she allowed herself to be lead
into the next room.

"Marcus."
He gently replied.

"You're
a very kind man, Marcus. Opening a hospice was always a dream of
mine." Gabrielle took a seat at the table.

"That's
the great thing about a hospice," Marcus began, "There is always
a need for one. In every small village, in every big city, there are
always sick people who require attention from a caring soul."

Gabrielle
slowly picked at the food before her, she still had no appetite, but
she didn't want to insult Marcus after all he had done for her. She
found herself lost in her thoughts for a moment as she remembered her
old dreams of starting a hospice and how she knew that as long as she
walked the same path as Xena, a hospice would never be possible. Now,
she was being forced to start a new path, with no one to walk beside
her. Perhaps this could be her chance to do the one thing she never
could have done with Xena. It couldn't be that simple, however.
Gabrielle had made a promise to carry on Xena's way of life and
that meant finding answers at the end of a sword.

"You
are welcome to stay as long as you'd like." Marcus sat down
across from Gabrielle. "I know who you are…" he stated oddly,
yet with much admiration. "You were friends with Xena."

Hearing
her name sent chills down Gabrielle's spine. She glanced over at
Marcus and slowly nodded her head, "Yes. We were very close." She
managed to reply barely above a whisper.

"I
presume you've been grieving over the loss of your friend."
Marcus continued, "It would explain why you were so ill when I
found you in the street."

"I
guess I haven't been taken very good care of myself lately."
Gabrielle admitted.

"It's
understandable." Marcus' voice was soothing, "The pain will
eventually heal, Gabrielle. I know that it seems impossible now, but
one day you'll be able to set it aside in your heart and it won't
be as painful."

"Sometimes,
I don't think I want to set it aside." Gabrielle confessed. "I
don't ever want to forget her, Marcus."

"Of
course not. We never forget the people we love, we only learn to live
without them until we are able to see them again."

"Xena
and I are meant to be together… Our time was cut short, but I know
that our souls are destined to reunite in the next world."
Gabrielle's voice began breaking as she reached the end of her
sentence. "But I still have much left to do in this world." She
added.

Marcus
smiled, "Gabrielle, why don't you stay here with me for a while?
I could use extra help around here, especially when soldiers pass
through."

"I
don't know…" Gabrielle glanced away from Marcus, "I'd have
to think about it first."

"There's
no pressure for a decision, but I do want to extend the invitation to
you. Askyro is a very pleasant and peaceful village. It could be just
what you need to get back on your feet again."

"Perhaps."
Gabrielle nodded.

"There's
a good friend of mine who could rent you a place to stay." Marcus
continued, "She's a very good landlord. You'd have no
problems."

"I've
never really stayed in one place before… well, not since I was a
child." Gabrielle stopped picking at her food. She was done with
it, and didn't care any longer if Marcus was offended by her not
eating.

"This
could be a wonderful opportunity for you, then."

"You
don't have to try to convince me, Marcus." Gabrielle politely
stated. "As I said before, a hospice has always been a dream. I
just don't know if I'm ready to start that chapter of my life."

"Seems
to me this could be the perfect time." Marcus contradicted.

"You
only say that because Xena isn't here." Gabrielle's voice
hardened a little.

Marcus
smirked, "No, I say it because when I look at you Gabrielle, I see
someone who is hurting beyond relief. I've often found one of the
best way to heal yourself, is to assist in healing others."

"You
don't know me as well as you think you do, Marcus. I've been
through a lot in the last several years that have changed the way I
view the world." Gabrielle stood from the table, "A hospice is a
wonderful thing, but whether or not it's a part of my future isn't
clear right now."

"Ah,
but Gabrielle, one cannot look into the future and ask for a clear
vision." Marcus stood to his feet as well. "Risk essentially
becomes a factor."

"I'm
very familiar with risk, Marcus. I've lived and breathed risk since
day one." Gabrielle slowly walked back into the rest area where she
had awoken a short while before. She intended on gathering her
belongings and leaving the hospice; it wasn't the right place for
her to be, at least not at that point in time.

"So
you plan to leave?" Marcus followed her. "First you say you need
time to think, then in a split second you decide that you must go…"
He frowned. "Have you always had such a spontaneous personality?"

"Thank
you for all that you've done for me. If I can ever repay you
somehow, just let me know." Gabrielle completely ignored Marcus'
question. She grabbed her bag and headed out the door.

"Wait."
Marcus called. "If you want to repay me, then stay… at least
until you have more strength."

Gabrielle
sighed, "I'm not going to work at this hospice with you, Marcus.
I can't."

"I
understand. I only desire that you stay and rest." Marcus
reiterated. "Please."

"All
right. I'll stay one more day. Tomorrow, I have to head out on my
own." Gabrielle allowed her bag to fall to the floor. Secretly, she
was thankful she was staying because her body was aching and for once
in a very long time, she wanted to rest and to sleep. However, she'd
not let herself be influenced or pushed around by Marcus, even if he
did only have the best of intentions in mind.

Suddenly,
there was a knock on the door. Marcus walked over and opened it, and
in burst a man carrying his friend.

"Marcus,
you have to help him!" the man cried. "He's been shot by an
arrow."

"Steady
now, Titus. Help me lay him down." Marcus assisted in laying the
injured man down on a bed roll. Gabrielle stood back and watched.
"Explain to me what happened." Marcus demanded.

Titus
stumbled over his words as he tried to tell the story, "We were
fishing…" he began, "Su-suddenly, we heard this noise… in the
trees behind us! We turned but saw nothing." He swallowed heavily,
"Then, before we even realized it, arrows were fa-falling from the
sky!" his

eyes
bulged from his dirty face, "One of them hit Erabi. Can you save
him, Marcus?" Titus gazed at Marcus with the ultimate plead for
help in his eyes.

"I'll
do all that I can." Marcus replied. He quickly glanced over at
Gabrielle who hadn't taken her eyes off the Erabi. "Gabrielle,
perhaps you should wait outside."

Gabrielle's
initial reaction was to reject Marcus' proposal, but instead, she
accepted and walked out of the hospice. She took a seat on a bench
outside the hospice's door. The day was beautiful, not a cloud in
the sky and the sun warmed her face as she squinted her eyes. From
inside the hospice, she could hear screams of pain coming from Erabi.
How cowardly to attack unarmed fishermen. If Xena were here she'd
go after the scum that did this Erabi and make sure they never again
attacked innocent people. Suddenly, it became clear to Gabrielle. She
couldn't just keep thinking of what Xena would do if she were here,
but rather it was now her job to do exactly what Xena would do if she
were here.

Gabrielle
quickly stood to her feet, a new burning motivation inside of her,
she headed off towards the only fishing area she knew of around the
village of Askyro. She would find the criminals who so cruelly
assaulted Titus and Erabi and she would bring them to justice. This
would be the first step towards fulfilling her promise to Xena.
Suddenly, Gabrielle's future was looking a lot more clear.

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